Action Alerts

Close Loopholes in the Federal Animal Fighting Law – Ask your Congressperson to Support H.R. 2492
Help make it illegal to attend or bring a minor to animal fights!
Organized animal fighting operations are very difficult for law enforcement to shut down. In order to stop the sadistic animal cruelty associated with both dogfighting and cockfighting, it is important to hold all of the individuals responsible for the ventures accountable. Large operations may involve hundreds of people: sponsors, exhibitors, trainers, and attendees. Attendees fund cruel animal fighting spectacles with money they use for entrance fees and gambling; however, the part of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) that addresses animal fighting, 7 U.S.C. § 2156, does not prohibit a person from attending the events.
To correct this deficiency, a bill was introduced in Congress on July 11, 2011, that, if passed, would make it illegal to knowingly attend or to bring a minor to an animal fighting venture. Bill H.R. 2492 entitled the “Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011” would amend federal law to provide a penalty of up to one year in prison for knowingly attending an animal fighting venture and up to three years in prison for causing a minor to attend an animal fighting venture.
Ask your Congressional Representative to cosponsor H.R. 2492 by completing your information to the right. It’s time to close loopholes in the federal animal fighting law and give law enforcement the tools they need to hold animal abusers accountable.Find your Representative here

Tell China Southern Airlines to NOT Transport Primates to Labs
After thousands of e-mails, hundreds of phone calls, the airline—which is the largest in China—has made the compassionate decision to cancel its plans to ship 80 monkeys from China to the U.S., where they were going to end up in the hands of Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL) and Harlan Laboratories and be tormented in cruel experiments
Thank South China Airlines for NOT transporting the 80 monkeys as planned on August 15 AND tell them to refuse to transport primates to laboratories ever again.
Make direct contact:
flychinasouthern@csair.com

The dog in the room
A lot of people will never forgive Michael Vick. A lot of people wonder why, too.
“The American population may not be guilty of carrying it out with their own hands as Vick did,” says Singer. “But it’s certainly guilty of supporting animal cruelty through their purchases. It’s not any worse to make a dog suffer than to make a pig or a chicken or a cow suffer. If you look at factory farms and if you support them, you can’t say ‘Vick made animals suffer and I don’t.'”

Mass Animal Suffering and the Collapse of Compassion
A strange paradox constantly confronts activists in the animal protection movement: many members of the public express appropriate revulsion at cruelty against individual animals (e.g., the dog beaten by his owner) while simultaneously responding with indifference to the large-scale industrial exploitation that destroys the lives of billions of animals.

Suicide, Horses & Omak’s Most Notorious Minute
In a voice-over, Robert Reder of the Humane Society says horses are not built to endure the speed and impact of the downhill race. “It’s inhumane and it’s cruel,” he says. That obviously has been the case for at least 22 horses whose Suicide Race deaths have been documented in recent years. Animal-rights groups say a horse dying in mid-race is part of the blood-sport attraction for fans, like NASCAR pileups and bench-clearing brawls.

Texas Drought Takes Its Toll On Wildlife
“The drought is hammering Texas,” says Cindy Loeffler, the water resources branch chief at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “Usually we don’t see impacts to fish and wildlife — they’re adapted to hot, dry conditions in Texas. But this year, we’re seeing impacts.”

How Your Dog Knows an Earthquake Is Coming Way Before You Do
There’s nothing supernatural or sixth sense about it. Seismologists think animals sense an electrical signal generated by the movement of underground rocks before an earthquake. Or they might sense early but weak shocks that humans can’t feel. Even the U.S. Geological Survey concedes that animals likely perceive earthquakes sooner than humans.

Vegans spread the word: the carnivore is over
Mr Mahoney describes animal agriculture as ”the great elephant in the room”, with its emissions responsible for 30 per cent of Australia’s carbon output, and asks why we ignore it.

Southern Veganism
Next week, the University of North Texas will open the nation’s first strictly vegan cafeteria. But administrators didn’t create the vegan-friendly option to make a statement about animal welfare or sustainability so much as to provide more options for a student body whose tastes are growing increasingly diverse, said Ken Botts, director of special projects for Dining Services.

Stop Snapperfest: Snapping Turtle Abuse for “Fun”
We may not be able to stop this atrocious event this year (scheduled for August 20), but our actions now will ensure this will be the last time wild-caught snapping turtles will be captured and then have their heads ripped out of their shells, all in the name of “entertainment.” Every year for the past 12 years at the Campshore Campground, wild-caught snapping turtles endure terrible violence at the hands of participants. The frightened animals are grabbed by their tails and repeatedly slammed to the ground.
Take Action

Please contact the commissioners, council members and the campground and politely ask that they do the right thing and replace this cruel event. And please spread this alert far and wide.

Help End the Use/Abuse of Chimpanzees in Labs
The Institute of Medicine is seeking additional PUBLIC COMMENTS that could make a difference in their report. Please take this opportunity to tell the Committee that chimpanzee research is cruel and scientifically unnecessary, and that you oppose it. Below is sample language for you to consider, but please personalize your comments for maximum impact.

I urge the Institute of Medicine to guarantee an objective review of the necessity and applicability of chimpanzee research to human health. To meet the ethical obligation the Committee has to the public, as well as the scientific obligation it has to research, the Committee must consider all aspects of the use of chimpanzees: scientific, ethical, humane and economic. Each of these areas has its own implications for human well-being. NIH cannot be allowed to tie the Committee’s hands.

The majority of the U.S. chimpanzee population has spent decades languishing in a lab—some 40 or 50 years. This fact alone challenges arguments of their necessity or usefulness and compels consideration of their suffering. At any given time fewer than 20% are in active protocols—hardly an indication of necessity or usefulness. A full 71% of the American public believes that those who have spent 10 years or more should be retired to sanctuary.

I respectfully request that the Committee leaves no stone unturned in examining the use of chimpanzees and includes a better balance to the opinions of scientists with vested interests in perpetuating their use. You must call on more scientists within the animal protection community as well as practitioners in various areas of human health. As can be seen, those outside of the NIH system, or institutions funded by it, are providing compelling evidence that the scientific necessity and useful of chimpanzees is a historic fact that can no longer be defended by modern science.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Tell New York State Officials To Support S.5013/A.7748 To Prohibit Horse-drawn Carriages In New York City
Please help pass a New York State bill, S.5013/A.7748, that would ban the operation of horse-drawn carriages in New York City. It also contains provisions for the humane relocation, sale, or transfer of the horses released from their service. This bill will end the exploitive use of horses forced into a life of servitude, encased in harnesses and made to pull heavy carriages for nine hours a day.
Everyone can respond to this alert, even if you live outside of New York.

Meat Inspectors Get Clout to Stop Inhumane Slaughter
Meat inspectors at federally regulated plants that slaughter animals got new instructions for humane treatment of animals. Announced Monday by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the instructions come in the form of a new 40-page directive. The rules go into effect on Sept. 15.

Snapperfest – turtle torture festival continues despite protests
Aurora, Indiana – “it’s just a little fun the guys have – of who can grab it the fastest and get it our the quickest,” is Greg Park’s explanation of Snapperfest 2011 where wild snapping turtles are overtly tortured by flabby”macho men” in shirtless overalls. Unfortunately onlookers and filming crews who might look suspiciously like members of the press or other assorted media sources may have been barred from filming the “entertainment.”

Want to go vegan like Bill Clinton?
Once famed for his love of hamburgers and doughnuts, Clinton, who had quadruple bypass surgery in 2004, dropped 24 pounds and has lowered his cholesterol levels dramatically since adopting a near vegan lifestyle last year. So, is veganism a good idea? “Veganism is one of the healthiest dietary lifestyles…if done properly,” reports LiveScience.

Search ends in Gwinnett for missing research monkey
Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center announced it has ended efforts to locate the animal. Known only as “EP13,” the 2-year-old rhesus macaque was discovered missing on June 15. “Despite extensive efforts by Yerkes staff, we have not been able to locate this research animal,” Dr. Stuart Zola, director of Yerkes, said in a prepared statement issued last week.

Think You’re Smarter Than Animals? Maybe Not
A few recent research papers describe animal competence at social and cognitive tasks that humans often struggle with — mastering conversational etiquette, understanding botanical classification, competing on game shows and figuring out how to get a drink when you’re thirsty and the only glass of water is glued to the table and your hands are tied behind your back.

German Cow Runs For Her Life
A runaway cow has captivated the attention of the media, police authorities, hunters, animal rights activists and even the Hindu community. Yvonne has been on the run since May, and though several attempts have been made to capture her none have been successful. All eyes are on Yvonne, the six-year-old fugitive cow. The mayhem began in May when Yvonne escaped from a farm in Muehldorf, Germany, where she was being prepared for slaughter, reports Der Spiegel.

Amphibian species clings to life
The federally endangered frogs, which recently metamorphosed from the tadpole stage, died in captive breeding tanks over the last several weeks at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

Expert: BP spill likely cause of sick Gulf fish
More than a year after the largest oil spill in U.S. history, researchers studying the Gulf of Mexico are finding that more fish are sick, and they’re trying to figure out exactly why. Jim Cowan, professor of oceanography at Louisiana State University, has analyzed many of these diseased fish. “When one of these things comes on deck, it’s sort of horrifying,” Cowan said. “I mean, there these large dark lesions and eroded fins and areas on the body where scales have been removed. I’dimagine I’ve seen 30 or 40,000 red snapper in my career, and I’ve never seen anything like this. At all. Ever.”

Coyotes in city to stay, so protect pets and food
Now the message is tamer. At a neighborhood meeting organized by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma in the Richmond District on Friday, animal experts kept it simple: They’re here. There are more of them than ever. Get used to it.

Tell Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to take ALL necessary actions to rescue Sarah from Ringling Bros and send her to an elephant sanctuary. How much suffering has 54 year old Sarah been forced to endure prior to her crash? How many beatings with bullhooks has she experienced in her 43 years imprisoned by Ringling Brothers, after being captured and taken from the wilds of Asia in 1957? And what is her reward for being a compliant employee of Ringling Brothers since 1968? It’s no gold watch for Sarah, no pension plan. It’s criminal neglect. Sarah is very sick, yet she is forced to perform.

In April 2011, the U.S. Congress tucked an unprecedented “wolf de-listing rider” into the federal budget bill and it passed. Write your representative now and urge him or her to oppose the proposed House Interior Appropriations Bill with provisions that threaten wild Mexican gray wolves and endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles with extinction and pose a significant threat of increased injury and death for gentle manatees.

This bill is an all-out attack on the natural treasures that are our children’s inheritance. I specifically object to these amendments…

Representative Steve Pearce (NM) has introduced an amendment to end lobo recovery efforts, essentially dooming the 50 remaining Mexican gray wolves in the wild to extinction.

Representative Blake Farenthold (TX) has proposed blocking efforts to reduce the speed limits on beaches where threatened and endangered sea turtles already reeling from the effects of last year’s BP oil disaster nest.

Boat strikes are a leading cause of death for Florida’s threatened manatees, but Representative Richard Nugent (FL) wants to block a Fish and Wildlife Service rule to prevent boat collisions and end the hazing of these gentle sea cows.

Representative Jeff Denham (CA) has introduced an amendment to block restoration of salmon in the San Joaquin River.

Representatives Paul Gosar (AZ) and Rob Bishop (UT) have proposed amendments that would exempt the border patrol from laws and regulations that protect imperiled wildlife and federal conservation lands like our national parks and wildlife refuges.

The bill also proposes deep cuts in funding for our National Wildlife Refuges and key conservation programs to keep our imperiled wildlife and wild lands safe.

Sacrificing our wildlife and environment in the name of fiscal austerity is unacceptable and could result in increased costs in the future to clean our air and water and keep us healthy. Please oppose this awful bill.

Want to Kill Fewer Animals? Give Up Eggs
This isn’t to say that vegetarianism is pointless. The typical vegetarian almost certainly causes fewer animal deaths than the typical omnivore. And unless you’re replacing all of your meat calories with egg-calories, going vegetarian will significantly reduce the number of deaths your diet is causing. The important takeaway from these calculations, rather, is that evaluating food in terms of “flesh” versus “not-flesh” doesn’t tell you that much about how many animals died to produce it.

How much protein do you really need?
Whole grains, seeds, and some vegetables also contain protein, so consuming enough is not difficult even if you don’t eat meat. Vegetarians and vegans can easily get what they need by balancing complimentary proteins such as corn and beans or rice and tofu. Nutritionists used to recommend combining foods at the same meal, but research now shows that is unnecessary.

Ellen DeGeneres announces new vegan site
Ellen DeGeneres has taken her love for the vegan lifestyle and turned it into a new website called “Going Vegan with Ellen.” The portal, an offshoot of her official Ellen.com site, is an introduction to an all-plant diet and how to stop eating the animal products.

Release of bison into Alaska wilderness put on hold again
The federal agency recently forked over $200,000 to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to maintain a captive herd of more than 100 wood bison for another year at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Girdwood south of Anchorage. The hope is it will give federal and state agencies enough time to negotiate a special rule that will make the animals exempt from the Endangered Species Act when they are finally set loose in Alaska. The state has been holding the bison at the AWCC for more than three years as part of a plan to restore the shaggy beasts to the Alaska landscape.

CSU fined over animal-research violation on Fort Collins campus
According to documents provided by Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, Colorado State University was cited by federal inspectors for violations ranging from having contaminated feed to failing to provide adequate shelter for some animals. University officials confirmed the violations, but disputed the significance of the findings.

State launches Canine Cruelty Prevention website
Attorney General Chris Koster announces Monday the Attorney General’s Office website now includes a Canine Cruelty web page where Missourians can learn more about the laws regulating animal care facilities and can file a complaint against substandard facilities.

By Helping a Girl Testify at a Rape Trial, a Dog Ignites a Legal Debate
The new witness-stand role for dogs in several states began in 2003, when the prosecution won permission for a dog named Jeeter with a beige button nose to help in a sexual assault case in Seattle. “Sometimes the dog means the difference between a conviction and an acquittal,” said Ellen O’Neill-Stephens, a prosecutor there who has become a campaigner for the dog-in-court cause.

Soy Isoflavones and Estrogen
But two issues regarding soyfoods always prompt me to provide some clarification, because they seem to be universally—and consistently—misunderstood despite very clear and conclusive research findings. One pertains to the types and amounts of soy consumed in Asia which I wrote about several months ago. The other is the mistaken idea that soyfoods contain estrogen, which I want to address here.

Daily Hot Dog May Feed Diabetes Risk: Study
After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary risk factors, the researchers determined that a daily 100-gram serving (about the size of a deck of cards) of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 19 percent increased risk for type 2 diabetes. A daily serving of 50 grams of processed meat — equivalent to one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon — was associated with a 51 percent increased risk of diabetes.

Government Knew About Bacteria in Turkey
Federal officials said they turned up a dangerous form of salmonella at a Cargill Inc. turkey plant last year, and then four times this year at stores selling the Cargill turkey, but didn’t move for a recall until an outbreak killed one person and sickened 77 others…”We have constraints when it comes to salmonella,” said Elisabeth Hagen, the USDA’s top food-safety official, in an interview. She said that unlike E. coli, salmonella isn’t officially considered a dangerous adulterant in meat unless that meat is directly tied to an illness or death.

Even Farm Animals Need Love
But what happens when a farm animal, like a chicken or a cow, is being abused, mistreated or not given the necessities it needs? In California and the Bay Area there are families and organizations that place mistreated animals in loving homes.

More than 12 million wild-caught freshwater turtles were exported from the United States in the past five years. Freshwater turtles are facing increasing, unsustainable commercial harvest in the United States to supply food and medicinal markets in Southeast Asia, as well as worldwide demand for “pet” industries.
To save many millions of these animals, tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to propose that several species of freshwater turtles be considered for regulation under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Tell your Congressional Representative to co-sponsor the 2011 Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act (H.R. 2657) and restore the National Wildlife Refuge System’s original intent to keep wildlife safe and free from unnatural intrusion on federally designated lands.
Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) has worked with Born Free USA and our colleagues to reintroduce the “Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act” (H.R. 2657). This important initiative finally would end the horrific practice of trapping on national wildlife refuges. Please ask your congressional representative to co-sponsor the bill.

The NRA has pushed the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus to introduce legislation aimed at eviscerating the Toxic Substances Control Act and preventing the EPA from regulating toxic lead exposure to wildlife. Help us stop the cruel and misguided “Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act.”
There is simply no reason to continue to use toxic lead materials for hunting or fishing. Effective, nontoxic bullets, shot and fishing weights are widely available and in many cases, comparable in price to lead. Yet the well-heeled NRA gun lobby argues that removing toxic materials from the sporting marketplace is “extreme” and somehow anti-hunting or fishing

Help us stop the NRA’s toxic legislation by contacting your senators today and urging them to oppose this harmful bill.

Calendar

January2019

NARN's board of directors meets monthly to discuss our campaigns and administrative issues. Guests are welcome to attend if we have enough time on our agenda.

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll get back to you. All NARN Board Meetings are held in Seattle.

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by our desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join us in providing free, educational information to the public about the dangers of supporting backyard breeding practices and puppy mills, the importance of spaying and neutering pets, the time and money it takes to responsibly care for a living creature, and the positive effects of screening pet owners through application processes.

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093159060741059/

Come join us for a delicious brunch at the fabulous Celest Cafe AND write some letters for animals.

NARN provides the stationery, pens, stamps, sample letters, and ideas for what to write -- just bring yourself. You can even bring your laptop if you'd prefer to type or email your letters!

Why letter writing? Letter writing is a simple way to make change for the animals! At our letter writing events, we write for many different reasons: opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, support for sending animals to sanctuary, promotion of vegan events and issues through letters to the media, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions!

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 6pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/512061562622307/

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Unfortunately, they frequently re-schedule or cancel their meetings in an attempt to avoid the public, so please call the Public Affairs Office at 206-543-9180 to make sure the meeting is still happening at the given time.
You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we will be checking out Travelers Thali House. They have tons of vegan options. See their menu here:
http://www.travelersthalihouse.com/Menu102014.html
The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/406570843449273/

La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza will be offering a tasty Vegan Tamales Cooking Class in partnership with the Food Empowerment Project! Now is your chance to learn how to make vegan tamales from a master tamalera! The tamales are prepared in the handmade and traditional fashion using cultural ingredients. Sweet sangrias, beer and wine will also be served and is included in the ticket price.

Class will begin promptly at 10:00 AM in the kitchen at El Centro de la Raza. Classes typically take 2.5 to 3 hours long. All cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but please bring your own apron.

The money for the La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza Latin Cooking Classes go to fund El Centro de la Raza's Senior programs.

For updates on this event see
https://www.facebook.com/events/2404477662895760/